Chapter 2 says: Thank you, Qing

Gu Ran was puzzled.

Su Qing did not explain, but instead asked, "Have you eaten?"

"No, but..."

"Then let's go." Su Qing turned and walked towards the outside.

To go was really to go; it was not to Sha County Snack, nor KFC, and definitely not returning to McDonald's.

The two came to the parking lot.

Su Qing drove a blue BMW. Gu Ran was not sure of the exact model because he had no need to know that information.

She opened the trunk, which contained flip-flops, running shoes, mineral water, and other miscellaneous items.

Gu Ran stuffed his luggage into it. Although the suitcase was large, the way he arranged it appeared constrained, lacking the presence of even that pair of sandals.

Su Qing glanced at it and, without saying much, closed the trunk and headed straight to the driver's seat.

Gu Ran followed to sit in the passenger seat, but when he opened the door, it looked like a pile of junk—there were coats, document bags, books, and shopping bags.

No one had probably sat in the passenger seat for quite a while, and cleaning up the mess in front of him would be like a mini moving day.

"Sit in the back." Su Qing glanced over with her sunglasses on.

Her face was pale and delicate, and the large sunglasses gave her a special charm.

"Okay." Gu Ran moved to sit in the back.

When he opened the door, inside were unfamiliar strands of hair as if a non-human creature had been here.

Dog hair? Cat hair?

"Beep!" Su Qing honked the horn.

Gu Ran sat in, finding the seat more comfortable than anything a long-distance bus could offer.

"You also need to buckle up in the back seat." Su Qing stared at the rearview mirror.

This was a detail traffic police almost never cared about, so why would Su Qing? Seeing Gu Ran obediently find the seatbelt and fasten it, she smiled to herself.

With the turn signal on and her foot on the gas, the car smoothly exited the parking spot.

Gu Ran watched the scenery outside the window, soon becoming fascinated. Unnamed flowers bloomed, clinging to the telephone poles.

Various palm trees stood like patrolling soldiers, while tall banyan trees, like ancient elders, told stories of history on the streets.

There were also all sorts of strangely shaped trees, but what impressed Gu Ran most was the tree with a trunk resembling a slender-necked bottle.

Then, there were the spotless beaches, clear waters, and coconut groves.

Men and women in swimsuits, young and old strolling around, surfers holding their boards and charging towards the sea as if into battle.

In the ocean, if one looked far enough, a constellation of islands was visible.

The visibility was so good that one might question if they had been nearsighted all along and had just put on glasses.

After all, it was the heights of summer, and after watching for a while, his eyes started to ache, and Gu Ran reluctantly pulled his gaze back.

Music was now playing in the car, though he didn't know when it started.

"Feeling happy, I keep busy with this and that~"

"Feeling tired, I just let myself space out~"

"Words spoken by others, just take them for what they are~ Make your own decisions~"

"Don't want to harbor too many feelings~"

Su Qing held the steering wheel, her slender right index finger tapping in rhythm against the wheel, higher than her left hand.

"Quite a fitting song for a psychologist." Gu Ran made conversation.

Under her sunglasses, Su Qing shot a glance through the rearview mirror: "It's suitable for everyone, psychologists are not special."

"Yes." Gu Ran could only nod in agreement.

The car left the main road and began to climb the hill.

Haicheng is a coastal city, but apart from the sea, it is surrounded by mountains, and whether traveling by bus, by car, or by high-speed rail, one must pass through a lengthy tunnel.

The hillside trees were lush with palms, banana trees, and more.

Among the trees, one could occasionally see standalone houses with yards.

It felt like returning to the countryside. The modern blue BMW seemed laid-back in this setting.

Finally, the car entered a vast courtyard. A sign on the wall read 'Jinghai Psychological Sanatorium.'

Courtyard was a more fitting description than yard, as it was exquisitely large, bigger than the grounds of an average hotel, and it even had a sports field.

Gu Ran was very satisfied with the environment. He seldom exercised, but that was a separate matter from having a sports field available.

Maybe he would consider playing basketball often; no, since he was by the sea, he ought to learn to surf.

Amidst his yearning, the car stopped.

Though there was no proper parking lot, designated parking spots were still clearly marked, enough for around twenty cars.

"Thank you." Gu Ran unfastened his seatbelt, got out, and went to retrieve his luggage.

As he opened the door, Su Qing pressed the button to open the trunk. She took her sunglasses off and finally got out of the car leisurely after turning off the engine.

She followed behind Gu Ran and then laughed.

He had been very careful when sitting down, but his clothes still got covered with the little dog's hair.

She also finally understood why Gu Ran had been so hesitant getting into the car.

Since she bought the car, only her mother had sat in it in the beginning. After such a long time, this was the first time she was transporting someone, and she had forgotten to clean the dog hair left from the last time she took her dog out to play.

With her hands clasped in front of her, Su Qing had a delicate and graceful figure, a chest not ample but full.

She wore a beige halter top with sleeves that exposed her shoulders, the front hem tucked into her blue jean pants.

Simple, yet sophisticated.

She watched Gu Ran handle the luggage for a while, then stepped forward after he got his luggage and closed the trunk.

"I'll treat you to a meal."

"No need, let's just go straight to check-in." Gu Ran responded.

"It's at the clinic's cafeteria, consider it showing you the way." Su Qing insisted.

Gu Ran thought for a moment, then nodded: "Thank you."

"By the way." Su Qing leaned in, her eyes sparkling and her radiant lips slowly curving into a smile.

Gu Ran's heart skipped a beat as their breath seemed nearly intertwined, so close to each other.

"What is it?" He stepped back half a step.

"There's something I want to ask."